Safe Injection Siteshttp://stopthedrugwar.org/topics/drug_war_issues/public_health/harm_reduction/safe_injecti
enChronicle AM: Organic Foods Group Disses Kratom, DPA Releases Opioids Plan, More... (12/7/16)http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2016/dec/07/chronicle_am_organic_foods_group
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<p>An organic foods group says allowing kratom would be &quot;dangerous,&quot; the Drug Policy Alliance comes out with a plan for heroin and prescription opioids, Iowa shuts down its asset forfeiture unit, and more.</p><p>[image:1 align:left caption:true]<strong>Marijuana Policy</strong></p><p><a href="http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/Virginia-Sees-Big-Drop-in-Marijuana-Arrests-404947585.html" target="_blank">Virginia Marijuana Arrests Plummet</a>. Marijuana arrests have dropped 14% in the state over the past two years, the largest decline this century, and they appear headed for further declines this year. Changes in prosecutorial priorities appear to be behind the fall, with some prosecutors saying they need to husband their resources for felony prosecutions.</p><p><strong>Heroin and Prescription Opioids</strong></p><p><a href="http://www.drugpolicy.org/news/2016/12/drug-policy-alliance-releases-public-health-and-safety-plan-address-problematic-opioid-" target="_blank">Drug Policy Alliance Releases Public Health and Safety Plan to Address Problematic Opioid Use and Overdose</a>. The Drug Policy Alliance, the nation&#39;s leading proponent of drug policy reform, is <a href="http://www.drugpolicy.org/resource/public-health-and-safety-approach-problematic-opioid-use-and-overdose" target="_blank">releasing a plan</a> to address increasing rates of opioid use and overdose (now the leading cause of accidental death in the United States). The plan marks a radical departure from the punitive responses that characterize much of US drug policy and instead focuses on scientifically proven harm reduction and public health interventions that can improve treatment outcomes and reduce the negative consequences of opioid misuse, such as transmission of infectious diseases and overdose. The plan has 20 specific recommendations, including establishing safe injection sites, moving ahead with prescription heroin (heroin-assisted treatment), and embracing Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) to keep people out of the criminal justice system and bring them in contact with social services.</p><p><strong>Kratom</strong></p><p><a href="http://www.wholefoodsmagazine.com/news/breaking-news/npa-dea-kratom-pose-threat-health/" target="_blank">Natural Products Association Says Allowing Kratom Would Be &quot;Dangerous.&quot;</a> The largest trade group representing the organic and natural foods industry and dietary supplements makers has commented on the DEA&#39;s proposed ban on kratom, saying that &quot;adding kratom to the US food supply could likely be dangerous and lead to serious unintended consequences.&quot; Kratom products have not met the strict standards for new items to be marketed to the public or undergone FDA approval, the group said. &quot;Adding an untested and unregulated substance such as kratom to our food supply without the application of longstanding federal rules and guidelines would not only be illegal,&quot; said Daniel Fabricant, PhD, NPA&#39;s CEO and executive director. &quot;It could likely be dangerous, leading to serious unintended consequences as our nation struggles with the crisis of opioid addiction.&quot;</p><p><strong>Asset Forfeiture</strong></p><p><a href="http://www.press-citizen.com/story/news/investigations/2016/12/05/iowa-board-60000-settlement-civil-forfeiture-case-california-gamblers/95002732/" target="_blank">Iowa Disbands State Asset Forfeiture Team, Returns $60,000 Taken From Travelers</a>. Under increasing fire over asset forfeiture practices that saw a thousand seizures a year, the state Attorney General&#39;s Office announced Monday that the Department of Public Safety had disbanded its Interstate 80 drug interdiction and forfeiture team. The move came because of increased personnel demands and the need to focus on reducing traffic deaths, the office said, and had nothing to do with the recently announced settlement of a lawsuit brought by a pair of California gamblers who had $100,000 seized after they were stopped and a small amount of marijuana was found. That settlement resulted in the men getting most of their money back.</p><p><strong>Law Enforcement</strong></p><p><a href="http://investigations.blog.ajc.com/2016/12/06/sex-drugs-and-the-dea-continued-potential-criminal-charges-cited/" target="_blank">Justice Department Probing Possible Criminal Charges Over Atlanta DEA Informants</a>. A DEA official told a congressional committee last week that the agency has referred &quot;potential criminal charges&quot; to the Justice Department over an Atlanta DEA supervisor who allegedly was in sexual relationships with two informants, one of whom was paid $212,000 for helping to bust four St. Louis drug traffickers. There are allegations of false documentation of payments to the snitch, who got $2,500 a month for two years, along with two &quot;bonuses&quot; of $55,000 and $80,750. The monthly payments apparently covered the rent for apartment near the DEA supervisor&#39;s home in the Atlanta metro area.</p> </div>
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http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2016/dec/07/chronicle_am_organic_foods_group#commentsAlternatives to IncarcerationAsset ForfeitureBudgets/Taxes/EconomicsDEAInformantsMarijuana -- Personal UseMethadone & Other Opiate MaintenanceNews BriefPolice CorruptionSafe Injection SitesState & Local Executive BranchesWed, 07 Dec 2016 21:15:54 +0000psmith32190 at http://stopthedrugwar.orgChronicle AM: Seattle Safe Injection Site "Die-In," ME MJ Init Vote Recount, More... (12/5/16)http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2016/dec/05/chronicle_am_seattle_safe_inject
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<p>Foes challenging the narrow legalization victory in Maine got their recount going today, patients take to the courts in Arizona and to the streets in Michigan, Seattle health care professionals do a die-in for safe injection sites, Ireland takes another step toward medical marijuana, and more.</p><p>[image:1 align:left caption:true]<strong>Marijuana Policy</strong></p><p><a href="http://www.weednews.co/marijuana-legalization-vote-recount-begins-today-in-maine/" target="_blank">Maine Legalization Initiative Recount Begins</a>. The <a href="https://www.regulatemaine.org/full-initiative-text2/" target="_blank">Question 1</a> initiative legalizing marijuana won by less than 1% of the popular vote, garnering 381,692 votes to the opposition&#39;s 377,619 votes, a difference of 4,073 votes. Citing the narrow margin of victory, foes called a recount, and it began Monday. The recount could take up to a month, delaying putting legalization into effect until it is completed.</p><p><strong>Medical Marijuana</strong></p><p><a href="http://tucson.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/medical-marijuana-users-sue-to-force-arizona-to-reduce-fees/article_5bed6631-36a3-5cfd-b7b5-2f5904c43f0a.html" target="_blank">Pair of Arizona Patients Sue Over Fees</a>. Attorneys for patients Yolanda Daniels and Lisa Becker filed suit last Friday to force a reduction in the annual fee for registration cards that patients are legally required to obtain. The state health department is charging $150 a year, even though it has nearly $11.5 million in its medical marijuana account. &quot;In a time when medication is more expensive than ever, the state should be helping to make it cheaper for Arizonans,&quot; the patients&#39; attorney argued. &quot;The state is deliberately squatting on the excess fund instead of refunding it to patients or using it in furtherance of the Arizona Medical Marijuana Act, such as to help patients.&quot;</p><p><a href="http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2016/12/protesters_cry_foul_over_medic.html" target="_blank">Michigan Protestors Denounce Kent County Dispensary Raids</a>. A couple of dozen people gathered outside the Plainfield Township Hall last Friday to protest a series of raids last Monday that shuttered three dispensaries in Plainfield. Demonstrators said they have nowhere to go to get their medicine, but Plainfield officials countered that dispensaries had been banned there since 2011.</p><p><strong>Harm Reduction</strong></p><p><a href="http://www.seattleweekly.com/news/activists-die-at-city-hall-in-protest-for-safe-drug-sites" target="_blank">Seattle Nurses, Doctors Do Die-In at City Hall in Protest Calling for Safe Injection Sites</a>. As Seattle officials ponder whether to move toward allowing a safe injection site, doctors and nurses are turning up the heat. Last Friday, more than 30 members of Health Care Workers for Supervised Consumption Spaces held a die-in at City Hall to imitate the corpses that will be created if safe injection sites aren&#39;t allowed. City officials have been generally sympathetic to the idea, and a Seattle/King County opioid task force recommended the move in September.</p><p><strong>International</strong></p><p><a href="http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/uk-nightclubs-offer-free-cocaine-9389372" target="_blank">British Town to Allow Drug Testing at Clubs</a>. In a harm reduction first for the United Kingdom, a town in Lancashire will be the first in the country to offer testing of drug samples provided by club-goers at night clubs. The tests will examine samples of cocaine and MDMA to test the strength and purity of the drugs in a bid to reduce deaths related to &quot;adulterated or highly potent&quot; drugs. The National Police Chief&#39;s Council reportedly said the scheme could be useful but was still not yet endorsed on a national basis.</p><p><a href="http://www.ibtimes.com/ireland-marijuana-legalization-lawmakers-approve-medical-cannabis-bill-2455111" target="_blank">Ireland Takes Another Step Toward Medical Marijuana</a>. The Dáil Éireann, the lower house of parliament, last Thursday approved an amendment allowing for the medicinal use of marijuana. But the measure still has to undergo another round of approval before it becomes law.</p><p><a href="http://www.thejournal.ie/cannabis-recreational-use-ireland-poll-3115926-Dec2016/" target="_blank">Poll: More Irish Support Marijuana Legalization Than Not.</a> As the parliament ponders medical marijuana, a new poll finds that more Irish than not support full-blown legalization. A poll asking &quot;Should cannabis be legalized for recreational use?&quot; had 48% saying yes, 41% saying no, and 11% undecided.</p> </div>
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http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2016/dec/05/chronicle_am_seattle_safe_inject#comments2016CocaineDrug TestingEcstasyIncreased Drug PotencyMarijuana -- Personal UseMarijuana LegalizationMedical MarijuanaNews BriefOverdosesPoisoned Drug SupplyPollingPublic OpinionSafe Injection SitesState CourtsMon, 05 Dec 2016 21:19:25 +0000psmith32188 at http://stopthedrugwar.orgChronicle AM: CA Eyeing Billion in MJ Taxes, SF Safe Injection Site Support, More... (12/2/16)http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2016/dec/02/chronicle_am_ca_eyeing_billion_m
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<p>A battle over safe injection sites looms in San Francisco, California could score a billion bucks a year in marijuana taxes, kratom gets massive support during the DEA&#39;s public comment period on its proposed ban, and more.</p><p>[image:1 align:right caption:true]<strong>Marijuana Policy</strong></p><p><a href="http://www.ibtimes.com/marijuana-legalization-california-looking-1b-tax-bonanza-legal-pot-2453069" target="_blank">Legal Marijuana Could Generate a Billion Dollars a Year in California Marijuana Taxes</a>. State analysts estimate legal marijuana tax revenues could provide a $1 billion a year boost in state and local tax revenues. In anticipation of dollars to come, the state Board of Equalization Tuesday approved a proposal to fund staffing to administer the state&#39;s legalization bureaucracy, saying it needs $20 million by 2021 to support a staff of 114.</p><p><strong>Medical Marijuana</strong></p><p><a href="http://www.thecannabist.co/2016/12/01/arkansas-medical-marijuana-drafts-rules/68548/" target="_blank">Arkansas Regulators Release Draft Medical Marijuana Rules</a>. The state Department of Health Wednesday released proposed draft rules for the voter-approved medical marijuana program. The rules include provisions about labeling, obtaining medical marijuana registry cards, lab testing requirements, and the process for adding new qualifying conditions. The department said it hopes to present the draft rules to the Board of Health next month and then open them to public comment. The department has not completed draft rules for regulation of and applications for dispensary and cultivation licenses. The state is supposed to be ready to license growers and sellers by June 1.</p><p><a href="https://www.mprnews.org/story/2016/12/01/more-conditions-expand-medical-marijuana-in-minnesota" target="_blank">Minnesota Will Allow Medical Marijuana For PTSD</a>. The state Department of Health has decided to add post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to the list of qualifying conditions for marijuana. It had been weighing requests to add PTSD, autism, arthritis, depression, and other conditions. &quot;While the process of reviewing these potential additions was difficult due to the relative lack of published scientific evidence, PTSD presented the strongest case for potential benefits,&quot; Health Commissioner Dr. Ed Ehlinger said. &quot;PTSD also has few effective treatment alternatives available for some patients with the condition,&quot; he added. The decision means that patients certified with PTSD will be eligible for medical cannabis starting August 2017.</p><p><strong>Kratom</strong></p><p><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/12/02/drug-policy-experts-and-advocates-implore-dea-to-keep-opiate-like-plant-legal/" target="_blank">Kratom Comment Period is Over; Massive Response to DEA Ban Move</a>. The time to comment on the DEA&#39;s proposed move to ban kratom has ended, but more than 22,000 comments came in before the deadline, overwhelmingly against restrictive scheduling of the Southeast Asian tree and the psychoactive chemicals it contains. Commenters noted its lack of lethality, its use as a pain reliever, and its utility in substituting for more dangerous opioids. Addiction specialist Dr. Jack Henningfield wrote a <a href="http://216.30.191.148/HL-AKA-Eight_Factor_and_Recommendations_by_PinneyAssoc.pdf" target="_blank">127-page analysis</a> that concluded that scheduling kratom &quot;is not warranted from a public health perspective and is more likely to cause public health problems that do not presently exist.&quot; It should be regulated like a health supplement, Henningfield recommended.</p><p><strong>Harm Reduction</strong></p><p><a href="http://www.sfchronicle.com/politics/article/S-F-s-top-health-official-endorses-safe-drug-10660496.php" target="_blank">San Francisco Health Chief Supports Safe Injection Sites</a>. Barbara Garcia, director of the city&#39;s Department of Public Health, strongly endorsed safe injection sites, she told the Board of Supervisors Wednesday. &quot;I think if we were going to open one, it would be very successful,&quot; she told the supes, but added that the city needed a half-dozen to make a real difference. That puts her at odds with Mayor Ed Lee, who has come out strongly against the harm reduction measure.</p> </div>
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http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2016/dec/02/chronicle_am_ca_eyeing_billion_m#commentsBudgets/Taxes/EconomicsDEAKratomMarijuana -- Personal UseMarijuana IndustryMarijuana LegalizationMedical MarijuanaNews BriefSafe Injection SitesState & Local Executive BranchesFri, 02 Dec 2016 21:36:10 +0000psmith32185 at http://stopthedrugwar.orgChronicle AM: Former LA Mayor Endorses Prop 64, Glasgow Moves Toward UK's First Safe Injection Site, More... (11/1/16)http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2016/nov/01/chronicle_am_former_la_mayor_end
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<p>California&#39;s Prop 64 picks up another high-profile endorsement, the city of Glasgow is moving to establish the United Kingdom&#39;s first safe injection site, and more.</p><p>[image:1 align:right caption:true]<strong>Marijuana Policy&nbsp;</strong></p><p><a href="http://www.dailyprogress.com/colorado-lawmakers-arizona-anti-pot-ads-are-inaccurate/article_23690727-d73e-5709-9cb4-b1bfeb78bd6f.html" target="_blank">Colorado Lawmakers Call on Arizona &quot;No&quot; Campaign to Quit Using Inaccurate Ads</a>. Three Colorado state legislators Monday sent letters to the campaign opposing the <a href="https://www.regulatemarijuanainarizona.org/prop205/" target="_blank">Prop 205</a> legalization initiative calling on it to quit misstating facts about what has happened since legalization in Colorado. The &quot;no&quot; campaign has claimed that Colorado schools have not seen any money from marijuana revenues, but the legislators point out that the state Department of Education has received more than $138 million in pot tax revenues. &quot;They are saying these things that area really far field from the truth,&quot; state Sen. Pat Steadman. &quot;We&#39;ve been building schools and repairing schools with the excess tax revenue that was dedicated to school construction. Those dollars are flowing.&quot;</p><p><a href="http://www.latimes.com/politics/essential/la-pol-sac-essential-politics-updates-former-l-a-mayor-villaraigosa-endorses-1477953297-htmlstory.html" target="_blank">Former Los Angeles Mayor Endorses California Legalization Initiative</a>. Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D) Monday became the latest well-known California politician to endorse the <a href="http://www.yeson64.org/about" target="_blank">Prop 64</a> legalization initiative. &quot;I took my time on this measure because I wanted to make sure it included protections for children and public safety,&quot; Villaraigosa said in a statement. &quot;In evaluating the measure in its entirety, I am convinced there are enough safeguards to make it a workable proposition.&quot;</p><p><strong>Medical Marijuana</strong></p><p><a href="http://www.thecannabist.co/2016/10/31/arkansas-issue-7-medical-marijuana-rehearing/66469/" target="_blank">Disqualified Arkansas Initiative Asks State Supreme Court to Reinstate It</a>. Backers of the <a href="https://ballotpedia.org/Arkansas_Medical_Cannabis_Act,_Issue_7_(2016)" target="_blank">Issue 7</a> medical marijuana initiative are seeking recourse from the state&#39;s highest court after that same court last week disqualified it days after early voting began in the state. In a ruling last week, the high court said the campaign had violating state laws regarding reporting and registration of paid canvassers and threw out 12,000 signatures that had been approved by state election officials. But the Issue 7 campaign argues that a 2013 law imposing restrictions on paid canvassers is unfair to smaller groups. The state Supreme Court rarely grants petitions for a rehearing. A competing initiative, <a href="https://ballotpedia.org/Arkansas_Medical_Marijuana_Amendment,_Issue_6_(2016)" target="_blank">Issue 6</a>, remains on the ballot.&nbsp;</p><p><strong>International</strong></p><p><a href="http://www.thecanary.co/2016/10/31/glasgow-proposes-progressive-policy-reduce-intravenous-drug-use-harm/" target="_blank">Glasgow Moves Toward Opening Forced Supervised Injection Facility in the UK</a>.The Glasgow City Alcohol and Drug Partnership is pushing plans for the first safe injection sites in the United Kingdom. The notion is to be considered by the city council, the health board, and the police, all of whom are expected to agree in principle to the idea. Stay tuned.&nbsp;</p> </div>
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http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2016/nov/01/chronicle_am_former_la_mayor_end#comments2016Marijuana -- Personal UseMarijuana LegalizationMedical MarijuanaNews BriefSafe Injection SitesState CourtsTue, 01 Nov 2016 20:21:41 +0000psmith32140 at http://stopthedrugwar.orgChronicle AM: DEA Kratom Ban Retreat, France's First Supervised Injection Site, More... (10/12/16)http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2016/oct/12/chronicle_am_dea_kratom_ban_retr
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<p>A new Pew poll has support for marijuana legalization at 57% nationwide, the DEA is forced to back away from its kratom ban, France opens its first supervised injection site, and more.</p><p>[image:1 align:right caption:true]<strong>Marijuana Policy</strong></p><p><a href="http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/10/12/support-for-marijuana-legalization-continues-to-rise/" target="_blank">New National Poll Has Solid Majority Support for Legalization</a>. A new Pew Research Center poll released today has support for marijuana legalization nationwide at 57%, with 37% opposed. A recent Gallup poll had it at 58%. Pew says the numbers show that public opinion on the issue has flipped in the past decade. In 2006, only 32% supported legalization, with 60% opposed.</p><p><a href="http://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/health/2016/10/11/medical-pot-oversight-panel-meet/91888856/" target="_blank">Delaware Legislator Vows to File Legalization Bill Next Year</a>. State Sen. Margaret Rose Henry (D), the Senate majority whip, said she will introduce a pot legalization bill in January. &quot;It&#39;s certainly being considered. It&#39;s going to be an uphill battle,&quot; Henry said Tuesday during a meeting of the state Medical Marijuana Act Oversight Committee. &quot;But it&#39;s time, quite frankly. It&#39;s time to certainly look at it.&quot;</p><p><a href="http://thejointblog.com/nevadas-labor-union-legalize-cannabis" target="_blank">Nevada&#39;s Largest Labor Union Endorses Legalization Initiative</a>. Culinary Union Local 226, the largest labor union in the state, is getting behind the <a href="https://www.regulatemarijuanainnevada.org/question2/" target="_blank">Question 2</a> legalization initiative. The union represents some 60,000 workers in the Silver State.</p><p><strong>Medical Marijuana</strong></p><p><a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/news/florida-voters-set-legalize-medical-marijuana-survey-203925893.html" target="_blank">Florida Poll Has Initiative With Strong Lead</a>. A new poll from the Public Opinion Research Laboratory at the University of North Florida has more than three-out-four likely voters supporting the <a href="http://www.unitedforcare.org/ballot_language" target="_blank">Question 2</a> medical marijuana initiative. The poll had support at 77%. The initiative needs 60% to win because it is a constitutional amendment.</p><p><strong>Kratom</strong></p><p><a href="http://www.drugpolicy.org/news/2016/10/unprecedented-move-drug-enforcement-administration-withdraws-emergency-kratom-ban" target="_blank">In Unprecedented Move, DEA Backs Away from Kratom Ban -- At Least for Now</a>. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has <a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2016/10/13/2016-24659/schedules-of-controlled-substances-temporary-placement-of-mitragynine-and-7-hydroxymitragynine-into" target="_blank">posted a notice</a> in the Federal Register stating that it is withdrawing its plans to ban kratom using emergency scheduling powers. The DEA instead is opening a public comment period ending December 1st. The official notice indicates that comments received by the DEA will be considered -- along with formal input from the Food and Drug Administration -- before a determination is made about scheduling kratom. The <a href="http://www.drugpolicy.org/blog/why-kratoms-getting-banned-and-how-we-can-stop-drug-war-madness" target="_blank">DEA&#39;s proposed ban on kratom</a>, a medicinal plant used for millennia in Southeast Asia and currently by millions in the US, was anticipated to go in effect as early as September 30. The DEA retreat came amidst enormous pressure on the agency from the public and lawmakers to halt the ban.</p><p><strong>International </strong></p><p><a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/us-france-drugs-injectionroom-idUSKCN12B1KF" target="_blank">France&#39;s First Supervised Injection Site is Open for Business</a>. France has now joined a growing list of European countries that operate supervised injection facilities for drug users. After the Socialist government pushed through legislation allowing them last year, the first one in France opened Tuesday near Paris&#39;s Gare du Nord train station.</p><p><a href="http://www.insightcrime.org/news-briefs/peru-renews-military-operations-in-vraem-coca-hub" target="_blank">Peru Renews Military Operations in Key Coca Growing Area</a>. The Peruvian government announced last week that it is declaring a 60-day state of emergency in parts of the Valleys of the Apurimac, Ene, and Mantaro Rivers (VRAEM), a key coca producing region. The area had been under a state of emergency for 30 years until last year, when the government ended it after capturing several Shining Path operatives. But now, the military is back with twin briefs to fight drug trafficking and &quot;narcoterrorism.&quot;</p><p><a href="https://www.caymancompass.com/2016/10/10/lawmakers-pass-bill-to-legalize-medicinal-cannabis-oil/" target="_blank">Cayman Island Lawmakers Approve Medical Marijuana Bill</a>.Lawmakers in the Caribbean island nation voted Monday to legalize the use of CBD cannabis oil for medicinal purposes. The measure still faces one final vote, and could require some tweaking before such medicines become available. No one in the Cayman Islands produces CBD cannabis oil, and it could be problematic to try to import it from the US because of federal marijuana prohibition.</p> </div>
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http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2016/oct/12/chronicle_am_dea_kratom_ban_retr#comments2016Andean Drug WarCocaCocaineCongressDEADrug Trade Funding TerroristsKratomMarijuana -- Personal UseMarijuana LegalizationMedical MarijuanaNews BriefPollingSafe Injection SitesState & Local LegislaturesWed, 12 Oct 2016 20:52:07 +0000psmith32125 at http://stopthedrugwar.orgChronicle AM: Chelsea Clinton "Misspoke" on MJ Dangers, NYC Safe Injection Sites?, More... (9/29/16)http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2016/sep/29/chronicle_am_chelsea_clinton_mis
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<p>No, medical marijuana doesn&#39;t kill patients, Chelsea Clinton&#39;s spokeswoman admits, New York City is about to embark on a study of supervised injection facilities, and more.</p><p>[image:1 align:right caption:true]<strong>Medical Marijuana</strong></p><p><a href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/sep/29/chelsea-clinton-misspoke-when-she-suggested-mariju/" target="_blank_">Chelsea Clinton &quot;Misspoke&quot; About Risk of Marijuana Fatalities</a>. Chelsea Clinton &quot;misspoke&quot; when she suggested that using medical marijuana along with other medications could be fatal, a spokeswoman has conceded. &quot;While discussing her and her mother&#39;s support for rescheduling marijuana to allow for further study of both its medical benefits and possible interactions with other medications, <a href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/topics/chelsea-clinton/" target="_blank_">Chelsea</a> misspoke about marijuana&#39;s interaction with other drugs contributing to specific deaths,&quot; the spokeswoman said. While campaigning for her mother, the former first daughter told students at Youngstown State University in Ohio over the weekend that &quot;some of the people who were taking marijuana for those [medicinal] purposes, the coroner believes, after they died, there was drug interactions with other things they were taking.&quot;</p><p><strong>Harm Reduction</strong></p><p><a href="http://gothamist.com/2016/09/28/post_180.php" target="_blank_">New York City to Study Supervised Injection Facilities</a>. The city council has agreed to fund a $100,000 study into the pros and cons of supervised injection facilities. &quot;The Council&#39;s new supervised injection impact study will assess the feasibility and impact of New York City having a program that provides a safe, clean haven to high-risk, vulnerable New Yorkers and will help prevent drug overdoses and disease transmissions, &quot;Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito said after passage of the proposal.</p><p><strong>Law Enforcement</strong></p><p><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/heroin-dealers-death-penalty_us_57ec4051e4b024a52d2cc053" target="_blank_">GOP Congressman&#39;s Bill Would Subject Heroin Spiked with Fentanyl Dealers to the Death Penalty</a>. Rep. Tom Reed (R-NY) has filed a bill that would allow federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty for dealers linked to an overdose death caused by heroin laced with fentanyl. The measure is <a href="https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/114/hr6158" target="_blank_">HR 6158</a>, the Help Ensure Lives are Protected (HELP) Act. The move was quickly criticized by drug reform advocates. &quot;This bill is a doubling down on the very ineffective, harsh and punitive policies that characterized the early war on drugs and which have widely been proven ineffective at reducing drug use,&quot; said Lindsay LaSalle, senior staff attorney for the Drug Policy Alliance.</p><p><em>(This article was prepared by StoptheDrugWar.org&#39;s lobbying arm, the Drug Reform Coordination Network, which also pays the cost of maintaining this web site. DRCNet Foundation takes no positions on candidates for public office, in compliance with section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, and does not pay for reporting that could be interpreted or misinterpreted as doing so.)</em></p> </div>
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http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2016/sep/29/chronicle_am_chelsea_clinton_mis#commentsCandidates/RacesCongressFentanylHeroinIncreased Drug PotencyMedical MarijuanaNews BriefOverdosesPopularization of Worse DrugsSafe Injection SitesState & Local LegislaturesThu, 29 Sep 2016 20:38:18 +0000psmith32112 at http://stopthedrugwar.orgSeattle Aims to Open the First Safe Injection Sites in the US [FEATURE]http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2016/sep/21/seattle_aims_open_first_safe_inj
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<p>Seattle and surrounding King County are on a path to establish the country&#39;s first supervised drug consumption sites as part of a broader campaign to address heroin and prescription opioid misuse. A <a href="http://www.kingcounty.gov/~/media/depts/community-human-services/behavioral-health/documents/herointf/Final-Heroin-Opiate-Addiction-Task-_Force-Report.ashx?la=en">99-page report</a> released last week by the Heroin and Prescription Opiate Addiction Task Force calls for setting up at least two of the sites, one in the city and one in the suburbs, as part of a pilot project.</p><p>[image:1 align:left]The facilities, modeled on the Canadian government-funded <a href="http://supervisedinjection.vch.ca/">InSite</a> supervised injection site in Vancouver, just 140 miles to the north, would be places where users could legally inject their drugs while under medical supervision and be put in contact with treatment and other social services. There have been no fatal overdoses in the 13-year history of InSite.</p><p>Although such facilities, which also operate in various European countries and Australia, have been proven to reduce overdose deaths and drug use-related disease, improve local quality of life, and improve the lives of drug users, they remain controversial, with foes accusing them of &quot;enabling&quot; drug use. Thus, the report refers to them not as &quot;safe injection sites,&quot; or even &quot;supervised consumption sites,&quot; but as the anodyne &quot;Community Health Engagement Locations&quot; (CHELs).</p><p>&quot;If it&#39;s a strategy that saves lives then regardless of the political discomfort, I think it is something we have to move forward,&quot; said County Executive Dow Constantine, discussing the plan at a news conference last week.</p><p>The safe sites will address the region&#39;s high levels of opioid and heroin use, or what the task force called &quot;the region&#39;s growing and increasingly lethal heroin and opioid epidemic.&quot; As the task force noted, the number of fatal overdoses in the county has tripled in recent years, with the rate of death rising from roughly one a week (49) in 2009 to one very other day (156) in 2014. The current wave of opioid use appears centered on young people, with the number of people under 30 seeking treatment doubling between 2006 and 2014, and now, more young people are entering detox for heroin than for alcohol.</p><p>[image:2 align:left caption:true]Overdose deaths actually dropped last year to 132, thanks to Good Samaritan laws that shield people who aid overdose victims from prosecution and to the wider use of the opioid overdose reversal drug naloxone. But that&#39;s still 132 King County residents who needn&#39;t have died. Task force members said the CHELs would help reduce that number even further.</p><p>&quot;The heroin epidemic has had a profound effect not just on our region, but across our country as a whole,&quot; said Seattle Mayor Ed Murray. &quot;It is critical that we not only move forward with meaningful solutions that support prevention and treatment, but that we remove the stigma surrounding addiction that often creates barriers to those seeking help.</p><p>Not only are key local elected officials on board, so is King County Sheriff John Urquhart. He said the safe site plan was workable.</p><p>&quot;As long as there was strong, very strong, emphasis on education, services, and recovery, I would say that yes, the benefits outweigh the drawbacks,&quot; he said. &quot;We will never make any headway in the war on drugs until we turn the war into a health issue.&quot;</p><p>The region may willing to embrace this ground-breaking harm reduction measure, but it is going to require some sort of federal dispensation to get around the Controlled Substances Act and the DEA. How that is going to happen remains to be seen, but Seattle is ready.</p><p>The task force wasn&#39;t just about CHELs. In fact, the safe sites are just a small, if key, component of a broad-based, far-ranging strategy to attack the problem. The task force report&#39;s recommendations come in three categories:</p><p>[image:3 align:right caption:true]<strong>Primary Prevention</strong></p><ul><li>Increase public awareness of effects of opioid use, including overdose and opioid-use disorder.</li><li>Promote safe storage and disposal of medications.</li><li>Work with schools and health-care providers to improve the screening practices and better identify opioid use.</li></ul><p><strong>Treatment Expansion and Enhancement</strong></p><ul><li>Make buprenorphine more accessible for people who have opiate-use disorders.</li><li>Develop treatment on demand for all types of substance-use disorders.Increase treatment capacity so that it&rsquo;s accessible when and where someone is ready to receive help.</li></ul><p><strong>Health and Harm Reduction</strong></p><ul><li>Continue to distribute more naloxone kits and making training available to homeless service providers, emergency responders and law enforcement officers.</li><li>Create a three-year pilot project that will include at least two locations where adults with substance-use disorders will have access to on-site services while safely consuming opioids or other substances under the supervision of trained healthcare providers.</li></ul><p>Will Seattle and King County be able to actual implement the CHELs? Will the federal government act as obstacle or facilitator? That remains to be seen, but harm reductionists, policymakers, and drug users in cities such as Portland, San Francisco, and New York will be watching closely. There have been murmurs about getting such sites up and running there, too.</p> </div>
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http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2016/sep/21/seattle_aims_open_first_safe_inj#commentsAddiction TreatmentDEADrug PreventionHeroinMedicalizationMethadone & Other Opiate MaintenanceNews FeatureOverdose PreventionOverdosesPrescription OpiatesSafe Injection SitesState & Local Executive BranchesWed, 21 Sep 2016 21:48:18 +0000psmith32099 at http://stopthedrugwar.orgChronicle AM: Seattle Call for Injection Sites, Duterte Wants More Lethal Drug War, More... (9/20/16)http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2016/sep/20/chronicle_am_seattle_call_inject
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<p>A Seattle/King County heroin task force has recommended two safe injection sites be established, a California bill to let landlords ban medical marijuana smoking dies, Nevada legalization foes get organized, and more.</p><p>[image:1 align:right caption:true]<strong>Marijuana Policy</strong></p><p><a href="http://www.thecannabist.co/2016/09/19/nevada-marijuana-against-legalization/63389/" target="_blank">Nevada Legalization Foes Get Organized</a>. Opponents of the <a href="https://www.regulatemarijuanainnevada.org/question2/" target="_blank">Question 2</a> legalization initiative have organized as <a href="http://votenoon2nevada.com/" target="_blank">Protecting Nevada&#39;s Children</a>, complete with a slick website that warns that &quot;legalizing marijuana&hellip; like giving candy to a baby.&quot; Officials with the no campaign are also worrying about &quot;a well-prepared workforce&quot; if Las Vegas becomes &quot;the Amsterdam of the West.&quot; The group refuses to divulge its funding, saying it would be revealed in mid-October, when campaign finance reports are due.</p><p><strong>Medical Marijuana</strong></p><p><a href="http://ireadculture.com/landlords-ban-medical-cannabis-bill-dropped/" target="_blank">California Bill to Let Landlords Ban Medical Marijuana Smoking Dies</a>. Assemblyman Jim Wood (D-North Coast) has dropped his bill that would let landlords ban smoking medical marijuana after he conceded he was unable to figure out how to meet the needs of medical marijuana patients.</p><p><strong>Harm Reduction</strong></p><p><a href="http://www.kingcounty.gov/elected/executive/constantine/News/release/2016/September/15-heroin-opioid-task-force-report.aspx" target="_blank">Seattle Heroin and Opioid Task Force Issues Report, Calls for Two Safe Injection Sites</a>. The King County Heroin and Opiate Addiction Task Force has issued a <a href="http://www.kingcounty.gov/~/media/depts/community-human-services/behavioral-health/documents/herointf/Final-Heroin-Opiate-Addiction-Task-_Force-Report.ashx" target="_blank">final report</a> calling on increased prevention and access to treatment for addicted users. Among other recommendations, the report calls for authorities to &quot;Create a three-year pilot project that will include at least two locations where adults with substance-use disorders will have access to on-site services while safely consuming opioids or other substances under the supervision of trained healthcare providers.&quot; Look for a detailed article on the task force recommendations tomorrow.</p><p><strong>Sentencing Reform</strong></p><p><a href="http://bismarcktribune.com/news/state-and-regional/criminal-justice-bill-includes-provisions-to-reduce-prison-growth-but/article_82058e52-01b0-5b73-999c-3999206e991b.html" target="_blank">North Dakota Legislature Squabbles Over Drug Sentences</a>. Legislators are working off-session on a pair of criminal justice reform bills aimed at curbing a growing prison population, but some are reluctant to embrace reductions in drug sentences that experts said were necessary to actually achieve prison population cuts. There was support for reducing some sentences for drug possessors, but not for drug sellers. A proposal from the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to eliminate mandatory minimums for people dealing drugs was rejected. But a proposal from the Council of State Governments to make probation the presumptive sentence for first-time, low-level felonies was accepted. The bills will be introduced at the beginning of the next session.</p><p><strong>International</strong></p><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/sep/19/philippine-president-rodrigo-duterte-extend-drug-war-kill-them-all" target="_blank">Philippines President Wants Six More Months of Drug War Because He &quot;Cannot Kill Them All&quot; Fast Enough</a>. Even as the death toll from President Rodrigo Duterte&#39;s slow motion massacre of drug suspects tops 3,000, the hardline leader is saying he wants to extend his crusade another six months. &quot;I did not realize how severe and how serious the drug menace was in this republic until I became president,&quot; Duterte said. &quot;Even if I wanted to I cannot kill them all because the last report would be this thick,&quot; he said, referring to a new police list of people including top officials suspected of being involved in the drugs trade.</p> </div>
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http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2016/sep/20/chronicle_am_seattle_call_inject#comments2016Alternatives to IncarcerationHuman RightsMandatory MinimumsMarijuana -- Personal UseMarijuana LegalizationMedical MarijuanaMethadone & Other Opiate MaintenanceNews BriefSafe Injection SitesSentencingState & Local Executive BranchesState & Local LegislaturesTue, 20 Sep 2016 20:40:18 +0000psmith32095 at http://stopthedrugwar.orgChronicle AM: Seattle Safe Injection Site Progress, Philippines Drug Killings Inquiry, More... (8/23/16)http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2016/aug/23/chronicle_am_seattle_safe_inject
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<p>A Seattle heroin task force has endorsed safe injection sites, the Philippine Senate is holding hearings on the ongoing massacre of alleged drug users and sellers, Colombia coca growers are protesting over unfulfilled crop substitution promises, and more.</p><p>[image:1 align:right caption:true]<strong>Marijuana Policy</strong></p><p><a href="http://www.thv11.com/news/local/ark-marijuana-legalization-amendment-fails-again/305261279" target="_blank">Arkansas Attorney General Rejects 2018 Legalization Initiative Wording, Again</a>. Attorney General Leslie Rutledge has again rejected the wording of a proposed constitutional amendment to legalize marijuana. The proposal is from Mary Berry of Summit. Rutledge wrote Monday that the proposal has ambiguities around licensing and the role of various state agencies in overseeing legal marijuana commerce. Berry successfully submitted a similar proposal for this year, the Arkansas Cannabis Amendment, but it failed to get enough signatures to qualify for the ballot.</p><p><a href="http://www.postguam.com/news/cnmi/igisomar-reintroduces-medical-marijuana-bill/article_9adff584-6824-11e6-9c01-cb7cb12f82dc.html" target="_blank">Northern Marianas Senator Reintroduces Marijuana Legalization Referendum Bill</a>. Sen. Sixto Igisomar has redrafted what was formerly a medical marijuana bill and turned it into a full-on legalization bill. The new version, Senate Bill 19-106, is now before the Senate Committee on Health and Welfare. If approved by the legislature, the measure would then go before the voters.</p><p><strong>Harm Reduction</strong></p><p><a href="http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/health/innovative-solution-to-homelessness-housing-where-drug-use-is-ok/" target="_blank">Seattle Heroin Task Force Endorses Safe Injection Sites</a>. The Heroin Task Force empanelled by Seattle Mayor Ed Murray and King County Executive Dow Constantine has endorsed open safe injection sites for drug users. The task force is now working on formal recommendations on how it might work and the legal challenges it could face. Those recommendations are expected next month.</p><p><strong>International </strong></p><p><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/philippine-senators-investigate-hundreds-of-drugs-killings/2016/08/22/81d6ea60-6848-11e6-91cb-ecb5418830e9_story.html" target="_blank">Philippine Senators Open Hearing on Drug War Killings</a>. The Senate Justice Committee opened an inquiry Monday into the killings of more than 1,800 alleged drug users and sellers during an ongoing crackdown spurred by President Rodrigo Duterte. Committee chair Sen. Leila de Lima said she was worried by the killings and that police and vigilantes could be using the crackdown &quot;to commit murder with impunity.&quot; National Police Chief Ronald de la Rosa, who said he did not condone extrajudicial killings, took heat for failing to stop vigilante killings. &quot;This is like anarchy,&quot; said Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV. &quot;It&#39;s continuing under your watch.&quot;</p><p><a href="http://colombiareports.com/south-colombia-coca-growers-say-government-breaching-crop-substitution-deal/" target="_blank">Colombia Coca Growers Say Government Not Living Up to Crop Substitution Promises</a>. Coca growers in Putumayo province have been protesting for the past month, saying the government is eradicating coca crops without providing substitute crops as promised. Clashes between riot police and protestors have left at least one farmer dead, with dozens others injured.</p> </div>
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http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2016/aug/23/chronicle_am_seattle_safe_inject#comments2016Andean Drug WarCivil ConflictCocaHuman RightsMarijuana -- Personal UseMarijuana IndustryMarijuana LegalizationNews BriefPolice/Suspect AltercationsSafe Injection SitesState & Local Executive BranchesState & Local LegislaturesTue, 23 Aug 2016 20:42:04 +0000psmith32060 at http://stopthedrugwar.orgChronicle AM: UN Agencies Condemn Philippine Killings, Huge Danish Consumption Room Opens, More... (8/4/16)http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2016/aug/04/chronicle_am_un_agencies_condemn
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<p>UN drug agencies join civil society in condemning Philippine drug war killings, the world&#39;s largest drug consumption facility opens in Copenhagen, the California marijuana legalization initiative sues to have &quot;false and misleading&quot; ballot arguments removed, and more.</p><p>[image:1 align:right caption:true]<strong>Marijuana Policy</strong></p><p><a href="http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article93709872.html" target="_blank">California Prop 64 Campaign Sues to Disallow &quot;False, Misleading&quot; Ballot Arguments</a>. The <a href="http://www.yeson64.org/about" target="_blank">Prop 64</a> marijuana legalization campaign filed a lawsuit in state superior court in Sacramento Thursday seeking to have what it calls false or misleading statements submitted by opponents removed from ballot arguments. Ballot arguments appear in the voter information guide. The campaign wants the judge to reject or amend a number of arguments, including one that claims children will be exposed to edibles advertising and one that claims Prop 64 will remove consumer protections, among others. All legal questions around ballot arguments must be settled by August 15.</p><p><strong>Medical Marijuana</strong></p><p><a href="http://talkbusiness.net/2016/06/support-for-medical-marijuana-still-strong/" target="_blank">Arkansas Poll Has Support for Medical Marijuana at 58%</a>. A new poll of likely voters has a healthy majority for medical marijuana, with 58% saying they support it. Voters will have a chance to signal that support at the polls in November, when the Arkansans for Compassionate Care <a href="http://www.arcompassion.com/about" target="_blank">initiative</a> will appear on the ballot. A second medical marijuana initiative, the Arkansas Medical Cannabis Amendment, is still trying to qualify for the ballot and has received an extension to gather more signatures after coming up just short last month.</p><p><a href="https://legiscan.com/NJ/bill/A457/2016" target="_blank">New Jersey Legislature Passes Bill to Make PTSD a Qualifying Condition</a>. The Senate Tuesday gave final approval to <a href="https://legiscan.com/NJ/bill/A457/2016" target="_blank">Assembly Bill 457</a>, which would allow people with PTSD to use medical marijuana. The bill now goes to Gov. Chris Christie (R), who has not indicated whether he will sign or veto it.</p><p><strong>International</strong></p><p><a href="http://www.rappler.com/nation/141864-unodc-concern-drug-killings-philippines" target="_blank">UN Drug Agencies Join Chorus of Critics of Philippines Drug Killings</a>. In a statement Wednesday, UN Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC) executive director Yuri Fedotov said he joined UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in &quot;condemning the apparent endorsement of extrajudicial killings&quot; of alleged drug users and dealers in the country under the new administration of President Rodrigo &quot;Death Squad&quot; Duterte. &quot;[Extrajudicial killing] is illegal and a breach of fundamental rights and freedoms,&quot; he said. &quot;Such responses contravene the provisions of the international drug control conventions, do not serve the cause of justice, and will not help to ensure that &#39;all people can live in health, dignity and peace, with security and prosperity,&#39; as agreed by governments in the outcome document approved at the UN General Assembly special session on the world drug problem,&quot; he said. The International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) likewise <a href="http://www.unis.unvienna.org/unis/en/pressrels/2016/unisnar1292.html" target="_blank">expressed its concern</a> later the same day. In a written statement, the self-described &quot;quasi-judicial&quot; agency that monitors compliance with the drug conventions wrote that &quot;should these reports prove accurate, this would constitute a serious breach of the legal obligations to which the Philippines is held by the three UN drug control conventions and by the corpus of international legal instruments to which the country has adhered.&quot;</p><p><a href="http://drogriporter.hu/en/h17" target="_blank">World&#39;s Largest Drug Consumption Room Opens in Copenhagen</a>. The drug consumption room is 1,000 square meters and includes space for both drug injecting and smoking. It is partially funded by the city of Copenhagen. Users at the site will also be able to engage with medical and social welfare services.</p> </div>
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http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2016/aug/04/chronicle_am_un_agencies_condemn#commentsCrime & ViolenceHuman RightsMarijuana -- Personal UseMarijuana LegalizationMedical MarijuanaNews BriefPollingPublic OpinionSafe Injection SitesState & Local LegislaturesState CourtsUnited NationsThu, 04 Aug 2016 20:36:00 +0000psmith32036 at http://stopthedrugwar.orgChronicle AM: Millions Would Grow Pot If They Could, Hemp Returns to WV, More... (5/12/16)http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2016/may/12/millions_would_grow_marijuana_if_legal
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<p>Congress acts on opioid and drug trafficking bills, million want to grow pot if it&#39;s legal, a CBD cannabis oil bill moves in Louisiana, a medical marijuana bill is killed in Missouri, and more.</p><p>[image:1 align:left caption:true]<strong>Marijuana Policy</strong></p><p><a href="http://www.ocweekly.com/news/surveys-say-home-cannabis-gardening-cheered-driving-while-high-laws-jeered-7166820" target="_blank">Millions of Americans Would Grow Pot at Home If It Were Legal, Survey Finds</a>. A new Harris Poll conducted for Green State Gardener has found that a whopping 44.5 million adult Americans would grow their own at home if it were legal. That&#39;s 18% of all adults, up from 10% only last year. &quot;A year or two of research doesn&#39;t establish a trend yet, but the jump in these numbers is pretty significant,&quot; said industry analyst Bruce Butterfield. &quot;The largest number of adults most likely to grow marijuana themselves is 18 to 34 year olds, followed by baby boomers aged 55-plus.&quot; The poll also found that 59% said marijuana should be legal, in line with other recent polls showing consistent, if narrow, majorities for legalization.</p><p><strong>Medical Marijuana</strong></p><p><a href="http://www.wbrz.com/news/house-passes-bill-expanding-use-of-cannabis-oil-heads-back-to-senate/" target="_blank">Louisiana Houses Passes CBD Cannabis Oil Expansion Bill</a>. The House approved <a href="http://www.legis.la.gov/legis/BillInfo.aspx?s=16RS&amp;b=SB271&amp;sbi=y" target="_blank">Senate Bill 271</a> Wednesday, but because it amended it, the bill must now go back to the Senate for a final vote. Last year, legislators legalized CBD cannabis oil, but only for a handful of conditions. This bill expands those conditions to include seizure disorders. No one can currently use CBD cannabis oils because the legislature is still figuring out how to regulate them.</p><p><a href="http://khqa.com/news/state/missouri-house-rejects-medical-marijuana-proposal-05-11-2016-201527444" target="_blank">Missouri House Rejects Medical Marijuana Bill</a>. The House Wednesday killed the bill on a 71-85 vote. That leaves an open path for a <a href="http://www.newapproachmissouri.com/initiative" target="_blank">medical marijuana initiative</a> whose supporters have handed in signatures and are awaiting confirmation that the initiative has qualified for the November ballot.</p><p><a href="http://www.stowsentry.com/latest%20headlines/2016/05/11/90-percent-of-ohioans-polled-support-legalization-of-medical-marijuana" target="_blank">Ohio Poll Has Overwhelming Support for Medical Marijuana</a>. A new Quinnipiac University poll has support for medical marijuana at very high 90%. The poll comes as a restrictive medical marijuana bill is working its way through the legislature and as a medical marijuana initiative is in the signature-gathering phase. The poll also asked about support for legalization, which came in at 52%.</p><p><strong>Industrial Hemp</strong></p><p><a href="http://www.huntingtonnews.net/136044" target="_blank">West Virginia to See First Legal Hemp Crop Since World War II</a>. Scientists with West Virginia University are set to plant hemp next week in Morgantown as part of a research study on phytoremediation (reinvigorating depleted or polluted soils). The second phase of the study will explore hemp&#39;s industrial applications.</p><p><strong>Drug Policy</strong></p><p><a href="http://www.drugfree.org/join-together/house-passes-10-bills-aimed-combating-addiction-opioids/" target="_blank">House Passes 10-Bill Package Aimed at Opioid Addiction</a>. The House Wednesday approved 10 bills that are part of an 18-bill legislative package designed to fight opioid addiction. One bill would concentrate on best prescribing practices for opioids, another would provide funding for care for babies of mothers addicted to opioids. The rest of the package is due for consideration today or tomorrow.</p><p><a href="https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/114/s32" target="_blank">Congress Passes Transnational Drug Trafficking Act</a>. The act, <a href="https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/114/s32" target="_blank">Senate Bill 32</a>, now heads to the White House for President Obama&#39;s signature. The bill would criminalize foreign drug manufacturers if they intend, know, or have probable cause to believe the substance will be illegally imported into the US. It would also increase penalties for trafficking in counterfeit drugs.</p><p><strong>International</strong></p><p><a href="http://www.newstalk.com/Introduction-of-drug-injection-rooms-welcomed" target="_blank">Irish Government Makes it Official: Safe Injection Sites Are Coming</a>. The government released its Program for Government Tuesday, and the document commits the Fine Gael-led administration to supporting &quot;a health-led rather than a criminal justice approach to drug use, including legislation for injection rooms.&quot;</p> </div>
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http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2016/may/12/millions_would_grow_marijuana_if_legal#comments2016AddictionCongressMarijuana -- Personal UseMarijuana IndustryMarijuana LegalizationMedical MarijuanaNews BriefPollingPublic OpinionSafe Injection SitesState & Local LegislaturesThu, 12 May 2016 21:00:23 +0000psmith31930 at http://stopthedrugwar.orgChronicle AM: TN Pregnant Women Drug Law Fails, AR Welfare Drug Testing Starting, More... (3/24/16)http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2016/mar/24/chronicle_am_tn_pregnant_women_d
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<p>An asset forfeiture reform bill moves in New Hampshire, Arkansas and West Virginia advance welfare drug testing, a global commission on public health calls for drug decriminalization, and more.</p><p>[image:1 align:left]<strong>Medical Marijuana</strong></p><p><a href="http://theadvocate.com/news/15282516-98/house-panel-oks-bill-to-set-up-marijuana-stores" target="_blank">Louisiana House Committee Approves Bill to Set Up Medical Marijuana Shops</a>. The House Health and Welfare Committee Wednesday approved <a href="http://www.legis.la.gov/legis/BillInfo.aspx?i=229265" target="_blank">House Bill 446</a>, sponsored by Rep. H. Bernard LeBas (D-Ville Platte). The bill would create a licensing scheme for the distribution of medical marijuana products. The bill now heads for a House floor vote. It must still be approved by the Senate.</p><p><a href="http://www.theweedblog.com/protest-held-after-lansing-medical-marijuana-raids" target="_blank">More Michigan Protests Over Dispensary Raids</a>. Dozens of patients, advocates, and supporters took to the steps of the state capitol in Lansing Tuesday to protest a new wave of raids by the Michigan State Police and local narcotics teams. Both state Sen. Coleman Young (D-Detroit) and Rep. Jeff Irwin (D-Ann Arbor) addressed the crowd.</p><p><strong>Heroin and Prescription Opioids </strong></p><p><a href="http://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/local/northern-ky/2016/03/23/ky-senate-restores-heroin-funds/82163752/" target="_blank">Kentucky Senate Restores Funding for Heroin Fight</a>. The Senate Wednesday agreed to restore $12 million in funding for anti-heroin efforts that had been proposed by Gov. Matt Bevin (R), but cut by the House last week. House Democrats had slashed the $32 million over two years proposed by the governor to $20 million. Now, the House and Senate will have to thrash out the difference in conference committee.</p><p><strong>Asset Forfeiture </strong></p><p><a href="http://www.unionleader.com/article/20160323/NEWS0621/160329665" target="_blank">New Hampshire House Approves Bill to End Civil Asset Forfeiture</a>. The House Wednesday approved <a href="http://gencourt.state.nh.us/bill_status/results.aspx?lsr=2955&amp;sortoption=&amp;txtsessionyear=2016&amp;txtbillnumber=hb636" target="_blank">House Bill 636</a>, which would require a criminal conviction before assets could be seized and which would move seized goods from the drug forfeiture fund to the state&#39;s general fund. Gov. Maggie Hassan (D) is threatening to veto the bill, saying that because of the state&#39;s opioid crisis, this isn&#39;t the time to eliminate law enforcement resources.</p><p><strong>Drug Policy</strong></p><p><a href="http://www.marijuana.com/blog/news/2016/03/hawaii-weighs-study-on-decriminalizing-all-drugs/" target="_blank">Hawaii Lawmakers Take Up Resolution Urging Study on Drug Decriminalization</a>. The House Judiciary Committee today is hearing a resolution, <a href="http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=HCR&amp;billnumber=127&amp;year=2016" target="_blank">HCR 127</a>, that calls on the state&#39;s Legislative Research Bureau to &quot;conduct a study on the feasibility and advisability of decriminalizing the illegal possession of drugs for personal use in Hawaii&quot; so that it &quot;would constitute an administrative or civil violation rather than a criminal offense.&quot; If the resolution passes both chambers, the study would be due before year&#39;s end to be ready for next year&#39;s legislative session. The study would examine Portugal&#39;s experience with decriminalization as a possible model for the state.</p><p><strong>Drug Testing</strong></p><p><a href="http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2016/mar/24/welfare-drug-tests-to-start-in-state-20" target="_blank">Arkansas Welfare Drug Testing to Begin Within Days</a>. The head of the Department of Workforce Services, Daryl Bassett, said Wednesday that the state&#39;s welfare drug testing program would get underway within &quot;seven to 10 days.&quot; Under the program, all applicants for government aid would be screened for possible drug use and those deemed likely to have been using drugs would have to undergo drug testing. Refusal to take the drug test will result in being denied benefits for six months. Someone who tests positive can continue to receive aid if he follows treatment and recovery plans set by state officials.</p><p><a href="http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2016/03/24/3763113/west-virginia-welfare-drug-test-signed/" target="_blank">West Virginia Governor Signs Welfare Drug Test Bill</a>. Gov. Early Ray Tomblin (D) today signed into law a bill that mandates screening of all welfare applicants for drug use and drug testing those for whom case workers have &quot;reasonable suspicion&quot; of drug use. Applicants who fail drug tests can continue to receive benefits as long as they enroll in drug treatment and job training programs, but a second failed test could mean loss of benefits for up to a year, and a third would earn a lifetime ban.</p><p><strong>Harm Reduction</strong></p><p><a href="http://www.seattleweekly.com/home/963479-129/sheriff-safe-drug-site-users-would" target="_blank">King County Sheriff Says He Would Not Arrest Drug Users Going to Seattle Safe Injection Site</a>. King County Sheriff John Urquhart edged ever closer Tuesday to outright support of a safe injection site in Seattle. &quot;I guarantee you,&quot; said Urquhart, &quot;that if you&#39;re going into a safe injection site, you will not be arrested by any of my deputies, period.&quot; But he was careful to add that while he was &quot;intrigued&quot; by the success of Vancouver&#39;s InSite supervised injection facility, he is not yet ready to endorse them for Seattle.</p><p><strong>Pregnancy</strong></p><p><a href="http://reason.com/blog/2016/03/23/fetal-assault-charges-for-pregnant-drug" target="_blank">Tennessee Law That Allows Assault Charges for Pregnant Drug Users Not Renewed</a>. The state&#39;s two-year experiment with arresting pregnant drug users is about to come to an end after the legislature failed to re-authorize the law this week. At least a hundred women have been prosecuted under the program, which has been condemned by human rights, civil rights, and pregnant women&#39;s rights advocates.</p><p><strong>International</strong></p><p><a href="http://www.newswise.com/articles/leading-global-health-commission-calls-for-reform-of-drug-policies-worldwide" target="_blank">Leading Global Health Commission Calls for Reform of Drug Policies Worldwide</a>. A leading global public health commission is calling for new policies that would transform our approach to drug use, addiction and control worldwide, including the decriminalization of minor and non-violent drug offenses. According to <a href="http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(16)00619-X/abstract" target="_blank">a report</a> released this morning by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and The Lancet, the war on drugs and zero-tolerance policies have undercut public health across the globe and have directly contributed to many of today&#39;s most urgent public health crises, while doing little to affect drug markets or drug use. The Johns Hopkins University -- Lancet Commission on Public Health and International Drug Policy calls for worldwide reform of drug policies, including: the decriminalization of minor and non-violent drug use, possession and petty sale; enactment of policies that reduce violence and discrimination in drug policing; increased access to controlled medicines that could reduce the risk of overdose deaths; and greater investments in health and social services for drug users. The report is based on an extensive review by the Commissioners of the published evidence, and on original analyses and modeling on violence, incarceration and infectious diseases associated with drug policies.</p> </div>
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http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2016/mar/24/chronicle_am_tn_pregnant_women_d#commentsAddictionAsset ForfeitureDecriminalizationDecriminalizationDrug TestingHeroinMarijuana IndustryMedical MarijuanaNews BriefPregnancyPrescription OpiatesSafe Injection SitesState & Local Executive BranchesState & Local LegislaturesWelfareThu, 24 Mar 2016 21:17:12 +0000psmith31881 at http://stopthedrugwar.orgChronicle AM: CDC Urges Docs to Severely Limit Pain Pill Prescribing, NY Rep Wants Safe Injection Sites, More... (3/16/16http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2016/mar/16/chronicle_am_cdc_urges_docs_seve
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<p>Another poll has a national majority for pot legalization, the Vermont legalization bill is now before the House, the CDC urges doctors to really cut back on pain pill prescriptions, a New York assemblywoman wants supervised injection sites, a Mexican governor wants a pilot program of opium cultivation, and more.&nbsp;</p><p>[image:1 align:left caption:true]<b>Marijuana Policy</b></p><p></p><p><a href="http://www.theweedblog.com/poll-voters-back-rescheduling-and-legalizing-marijuana" target="_blank">Another Poll Has a Narrow National Majority for Legalization</a>. A new national tracking poll conducted by Morning Consult has support for legalization at 52%, with 43% opposed and 5% undecided. That&#39;s in line with other major national polls in recent years that generally show support for legalization in the 50s. The most recent Gallup poll had it at 60%. </p><p><a href="http://www.bostonherald.com/news/local_politics/2016/03/massachusetts_sheriffs_opposed_to_marijuana_legalization" target="_blank">Massachusetts Sheriffs Oppose Legalization Initiative</a>. More of the usual suspects weigh in against legalization, with the state&#39;s sheriffs saying it would destigmatize drug use and make it easier for teens to get their hands on the weed. Last week, the state Hospital Association and leading elected officials, including Gov. Charlie Baker (R), Attorney General Maura Healey (D), and Boston Mayor Marty Walsh (D) came out against the <a href="https://www.regulatemassachusetts.org/about/initiative/" target="_blank">initiative</a> from the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol in Massachusetts. &nbsp;</p><p><a href="http://www.montpelierbridge.com/2016/03/pot-bill-hits-house-introduction-draws-criticism-from-rep-nuovo/" target="_blank">Vermont Legalization Bill Now Before House</a>. <a href="http://legislature.vermont.gov/bill/status/2016/S.241" target="_blank">Senate Bill 241</a>, the pot legalization bill, is now before the House Judiciary Committee. On Tuesday, Sen. Dick Sears (D-Bennington) and Sen. Joe Benning (R-Caledonia) introduced the bill to the committee. </p><p><b>Medical Marijuana</b> </p><p><a href="http://www.11alive.com/story/news/local/2016/03/15/medical-marijuana-bill-finds-new-life-senate/81822520/" target="_blank">Georgia CBD Cannabis Oil Bill Revived</a>. Supporters of <a href="http://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/en-US/Display/20152016/HB/722" target="_blank">House Bill 722</a>, which would expand access to CBD cannabis oil, have resurrected the measure by attaching its language to an old Senate bill. It could go to a House vote as early as today. The bill would expand conditions that qualify for CBD cannabis oil and allow companies outside the state to ship it in. Language that would have allowed in-state marijuana cultivation to produce the oil was stripped out earlier in the House. </p><p><a href="http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2016/03/4_medical_marijuana_dispensari.html" target="_blank">More Michigan Medical Marijuana Dispensary Raids</a>. The West Michigan Enforcement Team (WEMET) has raided four dispensaries for allegedly selling medical marijuana to cardholders who were not their registered patients. Two were in Saugatuck, one in Allegan City, and one in Pullman. Twelve other Northern Michigan dispensaries were raided last week. </p><p><a href="http://www.theweedblog.com/ohio-medical-marijuana-initiative-resubmitted-to-ags-office" target="_blank">Ohio Medical Marijuana Campaign Resubmits Initiative</a>. That didn&#39;t take long. Last Friday, Attorney General Mike DeWine (R) rejected the Ohioans for Medical Marijuana <a href="http://blog.mpp.org/medical-marijuana/9613/" target="_blank">initiative</a> because of deficiencies in its summary. On Tuesday, the campaign submitted revised language. After 20 days of review by state officials, the campaign will then have until July to gather 306,000 valid voter signatures to qualify for the November ballot. </p><p><b>Criminal Justice</b></p><p><a href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/mar/15/bill-would-end-automatic-license-suspensions-for-d" target="_blank">Massachusetts Conference Committee Agrees on Ending Driver&#39;s License Suspensions for Drug Offenders</a>. House and Senate negotiators announced Tuesday that they had reached agreement on a bill to end the state&#39;s long-running policy of automatically suspending for five years the driver&#39;s licenses of people convicted of drug crimes. The relic of the 1980s drug war will be officially repealed after the full House and Senate vote on the amended bill. Both houses passed bills, and the conference committee has been ironing out the differences. More than 30 other states have taken similar steps.</p><p><b>Heroin and Prescription Opioids</b></p><p><a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/ct-pain-pills-new-guidelines-met-20160315-story.html" target="_blank">CDC Urges Docs to Reduce Prescribing Pain Relievers</a>. In a move bitterly decried by chronic pain advocates, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said Tuesday doctors should only prescribe opioid pain relievers as a last resort. Instead, doctors should urge their patients to try physical therapy, exercise, and over-the-counter medications before using opioids to treat chronic pain. The CDC is recommending not using opioids except to treat cancer and for palliative end-of-life care, using the lowest effective dose of opioids, and limiting prescriptions to three days for short-term pain. <b></b></p><p><b>Harm Reduction</b></p><p><a href="http://www.pressconnects.com/story/news/local/new-york/2016/03/14/assemblywoman-backs-heroin-injection-plan/81780350/" target="_blank">New York Assemblywoman Wants Supervised Injection Facilities Statewide</a>. Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal (D-Manhattan) said Tuesday she will soon introduce a bill to establish the harm reduction facilities. Rosenthal&#39;s move comes after Ithaca Mayor Svante Myrick hoisted a proposal for such a facility there. &quot;New York, and nearly every other state across the country, is grappling with a heroin and opioid addiction crisis that has grown to epidemic proportions,&quot; said Rosenthal, who heads the Assembly&#39;s&nbsp;Committee on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse, in a statement. &quot;Addiction is a public health crisis, and we must address it as such, with aggressive, community-based solutions that reduce harm and provide access to life-saving treatment services.&quot;</p><p><b>International</b> </p><p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/mexico-governor-floats-idea-medical-opium-growing-reduce-052026663.html" target="_blank">Mexican Governor Proposes Legalizing Opium Cultivation</a>. &nbsp;Hector Astudillo, governor of violence-plagued Guerrero, said Monday that legalizing opium cultivation for medical purposes might help reduce the violence in his state and the idea should be considered. &quot;Let&#39;s do some sort of pilot scheme,&quot; Astudillo, a member of President Enrique Pena Nieto&#39;s Institutional Revolutionary Party, said. &quot;Provided it&#39;s used for medical issues ... It&#39;s a way out that could get us away from the violence there has been in Guerrero,&quot; he added.<em> </em></p> </div>
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http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2016/mar/16/chronicle_am_cdc_urges_docs_seve#comments2016AddictionDrivingMarijuana -- Personal UseMarijuana LegalizationMedical MarijuanaMexican Drug WarNews BriefOpium ProductionPollingPublic OpinionSafe Injection SitesState & Local Executive BranchesState & Local LegislaturesUnder-treatment of PainWed, 16 Mar 2016 20:41:46 +0000psmith31867 at http://stopthedrugwar.orgChronicle AM: British Lib Dems Adopt Marijuana Legalization, Seattle Eyes Safe Injection Site, More... (3/14/16)http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2016/mar/14/chronicle_am_british_lib_dems_ad
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<p>Britain&#39;s Liberal Democrats become the first UK political party to formally embrace marijuana legalization, a bill to recriminalize&nbsp;public pot smoking in Maryland advances, a Seattle task force is taking a serious look at supervised injection facilities, and more.</p><p>[image:1 align:left caption:true]<b>Marijuana Policy</b></p><p></p><p><a href="http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/politics/blog/bal-house-panel-rejects-right-to-use-marijuana-stiffens-penalty-for-public-use-20160311-story.html" target="_blank">Maryland House Panel Okays Making Public Pot Smoking a Crime</a>. The House Judiciary Committee has approved a bill to make it a misdemeanor punishable by a $500 fine to use marijuana in public places. That measure is <a href="http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/webmga/frmMain.aspx?pid=billpage&amp;tab=subject3&amp;id=hb0777&amp;stab=01&amp;ys=2016RS" target="_blank">House Bill 777</a>. The committee also killed a proposed amendment to the state Constitution that would have made marijuana use a right. </p><p><a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/news/politics/2016/03/13/massachusetts-hospital-group-against-legalized-marijuana/qvyynR0bi9gR9pwzGLyCjN/story.html" target="_blank">Massachusetts Hospital Association Opposes Legalization</a>. The association&#39;s board of directors voted unanimously against legalizing marijuana, citing public health and safety concerns. Top elected officials of both parties, including Gov. Charlie Baker (R), Attorney General Maura Healey (D), and Boston Mayor Marty Walsh (D) have also come out against legalization. </p><p><b>Medical Marijuana</b> </p><p><a href="http://www.decaturdaily.com/news/capital_notes_and_quotes/leni-s-law-on-marijuana-in-committee-wednesday/article_db71e993-37dd-5399-9194-ae085930c622.html" target="_blank">Alabama CBD Cannabis Oil Bill to Get Hearing Wednesday</a>.&nbsp; &quot;Leni&#39;s Law,&quot; <a href="https://legiscan.com/AL/drafts/HB61/2016" target="_blank">House Bill 61</a>, will get a hearing in the House Judiciary Committee. The bill would allow for the use of CBD under a physician&#39;s care for the treatment of debilitating medical conditions. Two years ago, the legislature passed a CBD bill, but it didn&#39;t allow for any use outside of a University of Alabama study. </p><p><a href="http://upnorthlive.com/news/local/protesters-rally-against-raids-of-several-marijuana-dispensaries" target="_blank">Michigan Dispensary Raids Spark Protests</a>. Nearly a hundred people took to the streets outside the Michigan State Police Gaylord Post Sunday to protest raids against 10 Oswego County dispensaries two days earlier. The Straits Area Narcotic Enforcement (SANE) team led the raids, which were the second such law enforcement assault on patient access in the area in the past year. </p><p><a href="http://www.ibtimes.com/weed-legalization-2016-new-political-party-legal-marijuana-now-nebraska-backs-drugs-2335864" target="_blank">Nebraska Medical Marijuana Political Party Formed</a>. Cornhusker activists tired of waiting for the legislature to act have formed a political party, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MJPNE" target="_blank">Legal Marijuana Now Nebraska</a>, and are preparing a signature drive to put medical marijuana to the voters. The will need to gather 6,500 valid voter signatures by August 1 to qualify for the November ballot. <b></b></p><p><b>Harm Reduction</b></p><p><a href="http://www.king5.com/story/news/local/seattle/2016/03/11/seattle-eyes-safe-injection-site-heroin-users/81636610/" target="_blank">Seattle Eyes Supervised Injection Facility</a>. The newly-formed Seattle-King County heroin task force is look at a safe injection site as one way of addressing heroin use in the area. King County Sheriff John Urquhart said he is &quot;keeping an open mind.&quot; </p><p><b>International</b> </p><p><a href="http://www.libdems.org.uk/liberal_democrats_call_for_a_legalised_cannabis_market" target="_blank">British Liberal Democrats Formally Adopt Marijuana Legalization Platform</a>. During its spring conference over the weekend, the Liberal Democratic Party formally adopted marijuana legalization and a regulated marijuana market. The party envisions single-purpose stores to sell marijuana. The Lib Dems become the first political party in Britain to embrace legalization. </p><p>The Colombian Defense Minister, Luis Carlos Villegas, said last Friday that the government is concerned over an increase in coca crops. Villegas conceded that there was a 40% increase between 2013 and 2014, and that there was another significant increase between 2014 and 2015. He blamed the increased profitability of the drug trade thanks to a Colombian currency devaluation, and he blamed the FARC for encouraging peasants to grow coca in the hopes of receiving development aid down the road.</p><p></p><p></p> </div>
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http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2016/mar/14/chronicle_am_british_lib_dems_ad#comments2016Andean Drug WarCocaMarijuana -- Personal UseMarijuana LegalizationMedical MarijuanaNews BriefSafe Injection SitesState & Local LegislaturesMon, 14 Mar 2016 21:00:14 +0000psmith31864 at http://stopthedrugwar.orgChronicle AM: UK Lib Dems Call for Marijuana Legalization, MD Harm Reduction Bills Get Hearing, More... (3/8/16)http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2016/mar/08/chronicle_am_uk_lib_dems_call_ma
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<p>Massachusetts lawmakers have problems with pot legalization, a Utah medical marijuana bill gets gutted, a Florida medical marijuana bill goes to the governor, groundbreaking harm reduction bills get a hearing in Maryland, Britain&#39;s Liberal Democrats call for pot legalization, and more.</p><p>[image:1 align:left caption:true]<b>Marijuana Policy</b></p><p></p><p><a href="http://www.theweedblog.com/four-in-five-illinois-voters-support-medicinal-marijuana-but-split-on-recreational/" target="_blank">Poll: Illinois Not Quite There Yet on Marijuana Legalization</a>. A new Paul Simon Public Policy Institute poll has support for legalization at 45%, with 51% opposed. Medical marijuana does much better, with 82% in favor.</p><p></p><p><a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2016/03/07/report-seeks-remedial-laws-marijuana-question-passes/Qbv7v6AeTZojboQ4XleTzO/story.html" target="_blank">Massachusetts Senate Committee Issues Report on Dangers of Marijuana Legalization</a>. A day after legalization got a raucous hearing at the state house, the Special Senate Committee on Marijuana issued a report saying it had &quot;serious concerns about the prospect of legalizing marijuana for recreational use and sale&quot; in the state. Legalization could make it easier for children to get access to the plant and more difficult for law enforcement trying to enforce impaired driving laws. The report calls for setting a legal driving limit for THC levels in the blood, requiring health risk warnings on marijuana products, and barring home cultivation, among other recommendations.</p><p><strong>Medical Marijuana</strong></p><p><a href="http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/the-buzz-florida-politics/senate-passes-medical-marijuana-expansion-sends-to-gov-rick-scott/2268281" target="_blank">Florida Senate Passes Medical Marijuana Expansion Bill</a>. The Senate Monday approved <a href="https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2016/307" target="_blank">House Bill 307</a>, which would allow terminally ill patients to use medical marijuana. The bill now goes to the desk of Gov. Rick Scott (R).</p><p><a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/politics/3630340-155/one-marijuana-bill-dead-another-broadened" target="_blank">Utah House Committee Kills Broad Medical Marijuana Bill, Tries to Merge It With Another One</a>. The House Health and Human Services Committee effectively killed <a href="http://le.utah.gov/~2016/bills/static/SB0073.html" target="_blank">Senate Bill 73</a>, backed by medical marijuana supporters, then tried to blend in some of its provisions into <a href="http://le.utah.gov/~2016/bills/static/SB0089.html" target="_blank">Senate Bill 89</a>, which would allow doctors to recommend medical marijuana products, but would also impose stricter regulations on its use. Sen. Mark Madsen (R-Saratoga Springs), sponsor of SB 73, said the compromise wasn&#39;t good enough. &quot;It&#39;s like trying to put live organs in a cadaver and expect some kind of good outcome. It is fundamentally, functionally constructed to fail,&quot; Madsen said. &quot;It&#39;s entirely possible they wanted it to fail all along. I don&#39;t think it&#39;s going to come close to meeting any of the needs for the people. It was a placebo bill from the beginning and was intended to torpedo my bill.&quot; Medical marijuana activists will now most likely move forward with a threatened initiative.</p><p><a href="http://pilotonline.com/news/government/virginia/production-of-marijuana-derivatives-gets-general-assembly-s-ok-for/article_a946f2e6-befc-5c43-8d3f-3e35f6371688.html" target="_blank">Virginia Lawmakers Approve CBD Cannabis Oil Bill</a>. The House Monday passed <a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?161+sum+SB701" target="_blank">Senate Bill 701</a>, which would allow the cultivation and use of two cannabinoids&mdash;CBD and THC-A&mdash;for patients suffering from severe epilepsy. The measure has already passed the Senate and now heads the desk of Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D). </p><p><b>Harm Reduction</b></p><p><a href="http://www.drugpolicy.org/news/2016/03/tuesday-maryland-house-delegates-hold-groundbreaking-hearings-two-harm-reduction-bills" target="_blank">Maryland Hearing Today on Groundbreaking Harm Reduction Bill Package</a>. The House of Delegates is today holding hearings on two bills from Del. Dan Morhaim (D-Baltimore County) that are part of paradigm-shifting, four-bill harm reduction package. <a href="http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/webmga/frmMain.aspx?pid=billpage&amp;tab=subject3&amp;id=hb1212&amp;stab=01&amp;ys=2016RS" target="_blank">House Bill 1212</a> would allow for supervised consumption rooms, while <a href="http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/webmga/frmMain.aspx?pid=billpage&amp;tab=subject3&amp;id=hb1267&amp;stab=01&amp;ys=2016RS" target="_blank">House Bill 1267</a> would take initial steps toward enacting a pilot project in heroin and other opioid maintenance therapy. <b></b></p><p><b>International</b> </p><p><a href="http://www.libdems.org.uk/a_regulated_cannabis_market_for_the_uk" target="_blank">British Liberal Democrats Call for Marijuana Legalization</a>. In a report issued today, <i><a href="https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/libdems/pages/10794/attachments/original/1457398164/A_framework_for_a_regulated_market_for_cannabis_in_the_UK.pdf?1457398164" target="_blank">A Framework for a Regulated Cannabis Market in the UK</a></i>, Britain&#39;s third largest political party called for legalizing marijuana and said it would be a billion dollar a year industry in the United Kingdom. &nbsp;<b></b></p> </div>
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http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2016/mar/08/chronicle_am_uk_lib_dems_call_ma#comments2016Budgets/Taxes/EconomicsMarijuana -- Personal UseMarijuana IndustryMarijuana LegalizationMethadone & Other Opiate MaintenanceNews BriefSafe Injection SitesState & Local LegislaturesTue, 08 Mar 2016 21:55:21 +0000psmith31857 at http://stopthedrugwar.org